 | |
| Running time | ca. 120 min. |
|---|---|
| Country of origin |  |
| Language(s) | English |
| Syndicates | APM, NPR |
| Hosted by | John Moe Desiree Cooper |
| Written by | Ben Adair (managing editor) |
| Directed by | Rob Byers |
| Produced by | Michael Raphael |
| Executive producer(s) | Peter Clowney |
| Recording studio | St Paul, Minnesota |
| Original release | May 1, 2004 – January 31, 2009 |
| Audio format | Stereophonic |
| Opening theme | "Crazyhorse Mongoose" by Galactic |
| Website | www.weekendamerica.org |
Weekend America was a weekly public radio program dealing with news, popular culture, the arts and more. The program was produced for American Public Media and hosted by John Moe in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
American Public Media (APM) is the second largest producer and distributor of public radio programs in the United States after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and operates radio stations in Minnesota and California. Its station brands include Minnesota Public Radio and Southern California Public Radio. Until July 2015, APM also operated Classical South Florida, which was sold to Educational Media Foundation, a California-based religious broadcasting company that airs contemporary Christian music.
John Moe is an American writer and radio personality. He grew up in Federal Way, Washington and graduated from Whitman College.
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2017, the city's estimated population was 309,180. Saint Paul is the county seat of Ramsey County, the smallest and most densely populated county in Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city. Known as the "Twin Cities", the two form the core of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with about 3.6 million residents.
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Weekend America launched Saturday, May 1, 2004, as a pilot aired by the show's developmental stations, then known as Public Radio Weekend. The show went national under the Weekend America branding Saturday, October 9, 2004.
Public radio veterans Bill Radke and Barbara Bogaev, based in Los Angeles, served as hosts during the pilot stage and early national phase. Bogaev left the program on December 9, 2006. Detroit native Desiree Cooper was selected to replace Bogaev, beginning in August 2007. Cooper's arrival signaled a shift in the program's production, with Radke's segments originating in L.A., and Cooper's from St. Paul, Minnesota.
Bill Radke is an American radio talk show host, web video host, author, comedian and columnist. He currently hosts Seattle's KUOW-FM's The Record and Week In Review. From November 1, 2010 to October 2012 he hosted Seattle's Morning News on KIRO-FM 97.3 with Linda Thomas in the 5AM to 9AM Pacific time slot.
Barbara Bogaev is an American radio journalist noted for her work as the host of the public radio documentary program Soundprint. She graduated cum laude with a degree in comparative literature from Silliman College, Yale University in 1983. She served as co-host of the former American Public Media program, Weekend America, from 2004 through 2006, and as substitute host of the National Public Radio program, Fresh Air with Terry Gross.
As part of a consolidation move in the summer of 2008, American Public Media moved production on Weekend America from Los Angeles to St. Paul. The changes shook up the cast. Cooper was bumped to "Senior Correspondent" and returned to Detroit. Radke left the program altogether. Commentator and occasional substitute host John Moe was promoted to sole host, based in St. Paul.
The show was divided into two hours, which were further subdivided into five segments per hour. Weekend America was designed to be run untouched; with local cutaways at predetermined points; with long local segments in place of one of the five national segments; or as one or two national segments spliced into a locally produced show. Many public radio stations aired the show untouched.
Regular segments of the show included "Good News, Bad News, or No News", where three panelists evaluated the significance of a recent news item; "A Little Bit of Weather Everywhere", which featured unique events happening around the country and the weather for the day at these events; and "Weekend Soundtrack", where callers shared a favorite song that provides a backdrop to their weekends.
The theme music was "Crazyhorse Mongoose" by Galactic.
Galactic is an American jam band from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
